360
by WikketKrikket
Summary: A relationship is different from all perspectives. KyouHaru drabbles of all styles and genres, from all angles. Because looking at something from one side never gives the full story. Author name changed from Waffles4eva
1. 14 Table

A/N: Hello and welcome:D These drabbles are all small, worked on in my spare time, but plenty of Kyou/Haru goodness. They are written for the Livejournal '100 Situations' challenge, which I must confess I heard about first from a very good fic on here called **Oddballs** that you should all read if you don't already. Regency!Ouran. Love. _(Ahem) _Enough fic loving done, the only other thing to say is that, somewhat daunted by the prospect of writing one hundred drabbles I quickly enlisted the help of my younger sister, the **PockyPirate**. So please read her fic too! She's strict Hikaru/Haruhi, and yet she seems to be writing these better than I do… Anyway, we got up to ten over on LJ and I thought it was time they were posted here. And **we do not own**. So, please enjoy!

I'm posting them in chronological order, starting with the first ones we did, and I promise they get better as they go on. But let's start at the top of the game anyway, with one of **Pocky's**- it's number fourteen, Table!

14-Table 

_423 words_

Kyouya stared at it, one eyebrow raised slightly. Everyone in the room was looking at him, hopeful expressions plastered over almost every face. Kyouya scanned the crowd of designators, until he found the person he was looking for.

"Tamaki…" he growled angrily. The blond winced, and tried to conceal himself behind Mori. Kyouya stared back to the monstrosity before him. They had spoilt it, covered it, and made it the centre of attention.

His table. He always sat there, it was out of the way of everything else in the room, in a corner. It was small, so nobody else could sit there and bother him. His hands tightened around his laptop case. His table had been 'decorated', sheets of wrapping paper covering it, a stack of wrapped objects on top of that, all lavishly covered in bows and hearts and other such rubbish. It had been moved to the centre of the room, in an attempt to force him to sit with the rest of the club.

Today was his birthday, the birthday which, Tamaki had promised on no uncertain terms was to be kept private.

Yet now, he was surrounded by girls, all demanding that he opened their presents, singing discordant rounds of Happy Birthday.

"Tamaki…" Kyouya said again, taking a small step back as his designators pressed in on him. "What is this?"

"Your birthday party of course!" The king said from somewhere in the sea of people. "How could we leave you to celebrate alone for such a momentous occasion?! I wanted to make sure that you had a proper start to a new year of your life! What is a life without a birthday, nothing, except like an eternal winter without Christmas! I couldn't allow this day to pass, without letting you know how glad we all are that you're with us, Kyouya-" By now, all attention had slipped from Kyouya to Tamaki, as the crowd shifted from the shadow king to surround the school's best-loved idiot.

Kyouya felt someone tugging on his arm. It was Haruhi, pressing a finger to her lips. He followed her across the room, to a small, corner half hidden by a pillar. A table was up against the wall, a chair beside it. He stared at Haruhi. She looked back to the rest of the group. They were still clustered around Tamaki, and hadn't seemed to notice Kyouya's disappearance.

"I found it." She said. "You may be in need of it." Kyouya nodded, already absorbed in his work. "Happy birthday, Kyouya-senpai."


	2. 56 Smoke: Dry Ice

A/N: Next up is _my _first attempt… and I don't like it half as much as **Pocky's**. Meh. I like my later ones, and hopefully this one has it's moments. I don't own, and please enjoy!

_56- Smoke_

Dry Ice

_724 Words_

Haruhi had long since been convinced of Tamaki's idiocy. Yes, he had his redeeming kindness and optimism, but today, the idiocy outweighed any good points he had.

Today, Tamaki had taken them to a night club.

Junk mail, that most cursed of objects, had given him the idea when the leaflet had tumbled out of a newspaper. Pictures of happy 'Commoner' teenagers all having a wonderful time at a club called 'Teen Culture'- where there was loud music and themed events such as fancy dress!- had caused days and days of pestering about commoner music and dancing and entertainment. Tamaki had been convinced by all those happy faces that commoners, and therefore Haruhi, would like nothing more then to spend all night in that sort of environment.

Needless to say, he was mistaken.

There was loud music that rattled every bone in her body, people drinking things that defiantly _weren't _non-alcoholic alternatives, and a strange fug coming from one corner as youths smoked cigarettes. Haruhi had recommended they left early before it was only the hard-core clubbers that remained, who would be smoking something other then tobacco.

This had been very confusing to her opulent club members, who naturally came to the conclusion that tobacco must be too expensive for those 'economically challenged', as Tamaki delicately put it. Equally, he didn't seem to notice the pounding rock and roll music or the raunchy dancing or the beer stains on everything. Actually, he seemed fascinated by it all; particularly the dry ice, a 'cheap effect' he thought was amazingly intuitive. For Haruhi, it felt like the smoke was beginning to fill her head, and she wanted nothing more then to leave.

Kyouya, she noted, had already made his escape. Judging by his snort, he had been the only one to understand her cigarette comment, and she was counting on him to come and glare them all out of there. Yet, he had gone. She couldn't blame him- she imagined this was no more his choice place then her own. Muttering excuses- quietly, so no-one would insist on accompanying her, she headed towards the exit to go and get some fresh air.

She wasn't altogether sure she'd go back in.

It was a cold evening, and after the warm and smoky environment inside, it seemed all the sharper. Haruhi was glad of it, it was refreshing. To her surprise, however, Kyouya was still there, leaning against a wall.

"Kyouya-senpai, I thought you'd left." She said, simply.

"No." He said, just as simply. Then he gave a look of malice, and seemed to almost hiss. "I don't understand how that place can be seen as enjoyable! I refuse to go back in there."

"I didn't invent them." Haruhi answered, with a slight eye-roll. "And I happen to agree. Let's just go home, I'm sure they'll be okay."

On other days, they would both have known perfectly well that this wasn't at all true. But neither of them were in the mood to care.

Kyouya followed Haruhi as she walked down the road, and it began to drizzle. Still, for once in his life, he welcomed the rain. He stank of smoke and the smell would not clear from his sinuses. Even so, as Haruhi walked under a bus shelter, he felt inclined to join her.

"Don't wait on my account." She said "There should be a bus any minute."

Kyouya fully intended to agree and call for a car, he just wanted to get home. Perhaps the smoke had addled his brain, however, because he found himself thinking aloud. "I've never taken a bus before…"

"You're not missing much." Haruhi said, flatly.

Even so, before too long, Kyouya found himself sitting next to Haruhi on a bus, a form of transport that was quickly revealed to be jolting and shaking. He supposed that, like a night club, it must have seemed a good idea to someone at some point. Haruhi didn't seem to notice the discomfort of the ride, looking out the window at the dark and the rapidly increasing rain. Her breath steamed up the glass, and for some reason, Kyouya found himself wishing the window would fog over entirely, leaving just the two of them in their own sealed world.

He quickly decided that smoky environments were not good for him.


	3. 92 Limited: Light Romance

A/N: Another of mine, and this one isn't too cheery. Heh. Angst abound! The song is from the awesome musical Blood Brothers, which, like Ouran, I don't own. Please enjoy!

_92- Limited_

Light Romance

_1,576 words_

_There's a girl inside the woman  
Who's waiting to get free  
She's washed a million dishes  
She's always making tea._

They think she's just a mother  
With nothing left inside  
Who swapped her dreams for drudgery  
The day she was a Bride.  
But the dreams were not forgotten  
Just wrapped, and packed away  
In the hope that she could take them out  
And dust them off one day. There's a girl inside the woman  
And the mother she became  
And a half-remembered song comes to her lips again.

The girl would sing the melody  
But the woman stands in doubt   
And wonders what the price will be  
For letting the young girl out…

Who would have thought, if they had not seen Haruhi since high school, that her life would be like this now? She had left school proud, and successful, with a bright future. There had been no doubt that she would achieve her dream of being a lawyer, back then. Her future had been full, and ready for her.

Not that she was unhappy with her lot now, but things had not worked out as she had expected.

Things had just gotten in the way. She had gone to law school- on scholarship, of course- and she had been so sure of her future career. But then she had met him, Takashi. A common name, yes, and a man of a common background.

But oh, how she had loved him back then. He had come at a time when she was the most lonely, away from the hosts, and everyone she had loved. She grew to love him just as much, back in those days, and when he asked her to marry him just after finishing her extended law degree, it never crossed her mind to say no.

Well, the wedding arrangements took a long time of course; and then once she was married she wanted some time settling in and putting the house to rights, and then she had found out that she was pregnant with their first child. She loved her daughter dearly, and when she was young could not have bared to have gone to work and left her with a sitter. And then she had their son. Well, she couldn't have left him either.

But now, now they were both well into junior school, and when Haruhi looked into the mirror the face was hardly recognisable from the one she had worn years before.

Her hair had grown long over the years, she had simply stopped bothering to cut it, and when she drew it back, she was surprised to see how much she looked like her mother. Her mother, who had been a great lawyer. Oh, Haruhi helped her husband a lot when he came home with a case- he often remarked both as a joke and resentfully in arguments- that she did more of his job then he did. But other then that, all she did was housework, and cooking, and laundry. All necessary. All enjoyable, in a therapeutic sort of way.

But, she reflected, the girl that had been lost in her face, would have been appalled.

One thing Haruhi had not lost over the years was her straight-forward nature. And she knew this was the limit.

Things couldn't continue this way.

_  
It's just a light romance  
Nothing cruel  
They laid no plans  
How it came  
Who can explain?  
They just said "Hello"   
And foolishly they gazed  
They should have gone  
Their separate ways_

It's just the same old song  
Nothing cruel, nothing wrong  
It's just two fools  
Who know the rules   
But break them all  
And grasp at half a chance  
To play their part  
In a light romance

Loving on the never never,   
Constant as the changing weather,  
Never sure  
Who's at the door,  
Or the price   
They're going to have to pay

Just for one night, or perhaps more, Haruhi wanted to renter that world. The one she had left behind, and hung up, so long ago. She opened her wardrobe, and pulled out a hangar covered with a suit bag. Opening that up revealed the dark, midnight blue dress, just as she remembered it.

She hesitated a moment, and then pulled it out.

"You look _beautiful_." Her husband said in awe, when he returned from work. Then he frowned slightly. "What's the occasion?"

"Rengé-chan's birthday." Haruhi answered, firmly.

The frown deepened. Her husband had always felt uncomfortable about the world she had once almost belonged too. He hadn't got on too well with her friends- he had never understood that Tamaki was simply overdramatic, and not mocking him, and Kyouya… he just resented Kyouya. Always had done, perhaps. "I thought we weren't going. You said you didn't want to."

"I only said that because I didn't want you to feel obliged to come. But she does invite us every year…"

"Well, that's her fault, isn't it? Don't feel guilted into going, Haruhi, they need to understand you're not a part of that world anymore."

"Perhaps I miss that world." She snapped. "I'll see you later."

And she left.

"Haruhi! You came! And you look so beautiful!" That was Tamaki's greeting, though he was hugging her so tightly she couldn't see and was guessing from his voice; a voice she hadn't heard for too long. It seemed alien, and foreign; and she wished it didn't.

Too many regrets. Too many limits.

Because once this day reached midnight, the fairy tale would fade, and the glamour and richness of this place, that reminded her of a time when she had dreamt; and she could return to real life.

But an escape couldn't hurt. As long as she did not forget, and did not overstep, the old limits.

"Tamaki, who is it you're suffocating?"

That was what she heard him say first, and then, as Tamaki backed off, she saw him.

"Ah." He said simply, though his eyes seemed surprised. "I might have known. Good evening, Haruhi."

"Hello, Kyouya." Haruhi smiled, and for once being tactful, Tamaki backed off. Though he did this with much winking and theatrical looks between the two and warning glances thrown in, so perhaps it wasn't that tactful. The 'ex' situation was hard enough.

But… Maybe just for this one night, she'd put a toe over the limits._It's just a secret glance  
Across a room  
A touch of hands  
That part too soon  
That same old tune  
That always plays  
And lets them dance as friends  
Then stand apart  
As the music ends_

Haruhi hadn't thought she'd be doing this again. To be honest, she hadn't thought she'd do it at all, once, but when Kyouya had asked her out on his graduation day, it never crossed her mind to say no. And then had begun a wonderfully- albeit strange- year.

Recently, she had found herself missing those days more and more. Kyouya knew her limitations, but also her capabilities, and he would pull her up if she wasn't to standard. Not any more. The limits were no longer his responsibility, and yet, it sometimes felt if they were, they would all dissolve away.

Then, just after her own graduation party, he had quite calmly told her he was leaving to complete his studies abroad. This was not a shock to her, and as they'd agreed, they'd quite calmly broken it off. By the time he'd returned, she was engaged.

But now, just this once, they danced together again.

"I remember this dress." He commented. "It's the ones the twins' made for your 'womanly debut'. Coincidentally, the last time we danced."

She thought how unlike him it was for him to make unnecessary conversation, but then she wondered if he was thinking back like she was. Her 'womanly debut' had been right at the end of her third year, when she had been convinced to finally come clean. After all, the twins had reasoned, she may as well go out with a bang. They had given plenty of good reasons at the time, but she was fairly sure nowadays that they had simply wanted to get her into an evening dress, just once.

"That's right."

"The fact it still fits must mean you worked off all your childbirth fat." He said, with characteristic bluntness. Haruhi squirmed slightly, uncomfortable with this line of questioning.

"Yeah, well, I work out a lot."

"Not much else to do, is there?"

This time, she flinched, and attempted to meet his eye. He was looking pointedly away, however, and said nothing for a while.

"No, there isn't." She admitted, eventually. She allowed herself that luxury, because he knew. He knew that she missed the old days. And now she knew it too.

"Haruhi." He muttered in her ear. "Do us all a favour. Cut your hair, buy a suit, and get a job."

"Kyouya…"

"Oh, look who it is." Kyouya nodded, and she twisted her head, to see Takashi coming uncomfortably through the door, wedged into a little-worn tuxedo. Haruhi immediately went to go towards him.

Kyouya let her hand slip out of his again.

Because the man had turned up, which was proof enough of his love. And the fact she had gone to him was proof of hers.

And, even for Kyouya, there were limits.__

Loving on the never never,  
Constant as the changing weather,  
Never sure   
Who's at the door,  
Or the price   
They're going to have to pay


	4. 03 Delirious: A Gentle Touch

A/N: You know the drill- do not own, please enjoy!

03- Delirious

A Gentle Touch

_1,363 words_

Kyouya had never felt so uncomfortable, but he didn't know quite what to do. This was a totally foreign circumstance to him, and he was cursing his sister for putting him into it.

It had begun with Haruhi being absent from school. Now, he had only known her the two years that she had been in high school, but he also happened to know she hadn't taken a day off since elementary school. And that had been when her mother had died.

He wondered if it still hurt her. He wouldn't have, maybe, had it not been for how he could see it hurt her father. He could see it in Ranka's eyes every time the man looked at his daughter, with happiness and affection, and pride; but sadness too. Maybe Haruhi took after her mother, or maybe Ranka was just upset she was not there to see how their child had turned out. But what did it matter to him, now?

Tamaki had dragged them all round to see Haruhi at first, of course, but that got nowhere. Unusually serious, he had thanked them all for coming but politely told them she was asleep and asked them not to disturb her. They'd had tea and refreshments with her father instead, but Kyouya often noted the man's worried glances toward her door, and; even with all the exuberant noise, Haruhi hadn't emerged.

So, he had figured that Haruhi was more seriously ill then the 'little cold' Ranka had put it down to. It was bad for them all. As the illness stretched on, and Haruhi missed an entire week of school, their number of designators at the club actually went up, people wanting to find out any news- not that they had any, not being able to visit her- and to cheer up the hosts, most of whom had been usually gloomy all week.

Kyouya, of course, relied on the fact that his demeanour had remained unchanged. What he hadn't noticed was how snappy he'd been, losing his temper far more quickly than usual, as if a good, neutralising influence had been removed; or as if his mind had been left elsewhere.

It had been his weekly visit to Fuyumi's and her husband's that Sunday when she had scolded him for his absent-mindedness, before adding with a smirk- "So, what's happened with Fujioka-chan?"

Kyouya had denied that had been the train of his thoughts, of course, but explained anyway. Fuyumi was surprised at him, and, having sufficiently berated him for 'leaving her in her hour of need' and ignored his apparently futile protestations that her father hadn't wanted them to bother her, and physically dragged him out of the house to send him there.

And perhaps it was a good job he had. Ranka had been surprised, perhaps even a little irritated to see him. He'd relaxed shortly, though, and admitted he'd had the last couple of days off work because Haruhi's fever was getting worse rather then better. When he began attempting to boil milk instead of water to make tea with, Kyouya decided he'd better do it himself. He'd never done it before, but he'd seen others do it for him enough times, and he managed. It took him a while, though- he'd have to have words with Haruhi about allowing her father to keep their tealeaves in an old cornflakes box- and by the time he'd entered the main room again, Ranka was asleep. Slightly irked that Ranka was not conscious to appreciate the severe efforts he'd been through, Kyouya left the drinks on the table and hovered awkwardly.

Kyouya blamed his upbringing for what happened next. Among their many pursuits the Ootori family ran hospitals, indeed, his mother was a doctor. And that, he was certain, was what made him go to check on Haruhi himself. The room, when he entered, was as dark as it could be in the middle of the day with the curtains drawn, and in the gloom he saw her sleeping in the bed. She was not sleeping peacefully, but fitfully, and sweating with fever. Indeed, the room smelt of it, and she lay in tangled sheets, her hair a mess too and her face flushed red. She looked in a bad way, and, frowning, Kyouya placed a hand to her forehead. It was hotter then he imagined it would be, but she stirred

slightly, probably an involuntary reaction to his comparatively cool fingers, and he whipped his hand away. For some reason, the idea of being caught behaving like this worried him immensely.

But still, he hadn't been able to leave. He was wondering if Ranka had phoned a doctor for her yet, or if he should do it- Haruhi simply couldn't afford to miss much more of school, or the club, which was naturally his primary concern. Before that, however, he needed to cool the fever, and went back to the kitchen.

This time, he noticed on the counter a bottle of cold medicine. Good, that meant Ranka had at least had the presence of mind to phone a professional- yet, Kyouya thought wryly, if he really was like Tamaki, he'd probably called an ambulance as soon as she so much as sniffed. Shaking his head at the thought, he found what appeared to be a clean washcloth- he really _had _to talk to Haruhi about the arrangement of her kitchen when she was conscious- but, for now, he ran it under the cold tap, wrung it out a little, and returned to the room. He was not one for gentle or tender displays, so he laid it as quickly as he could across her forehead, with as little contact as possible. He had been intending to leave straight afterward, having done everything necessary to his sister's eyes, but as he took his hands away they grazed her face. She was so deeply asleep he hadn't even expected her to notice, but to his surprise her eyes opened.

"Thanks, mom…" She muttered, blearily, rolled over a little- which threatened to displace the cloth, but thankfully it clung on- and went back to sleep.

Leaving Kyouya in his present circumstance of being totally unnerved.

Some hearts might have just broken at the desperate image of Haruhi seeing her mother again in the throes of delirium, but his was often said to be made of stone or ice. Even so, the slightest crack appeared, and his deep-buried morality (Which, he noted, sounded an awful lot like Tamaki) would not allow him to leave her there on her own.

At least, not until Ranka woke up.

So Kyouya stayed with her as her fever gradually cooled a little. And Ranka, who lay in the living room and had never been asleep to begin with, grinned to himself.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Some days later, Haruhi was back at school. She was still a little tired, but otherwise felt totally fine- she was dreading the attention that would surely be lavished upon her return. Not that it wasn't be touching to be thought of, but she hoped they wouldn't go overboard.

One person who could be trusted to stay understated, however, was Kyouya; and thankfully it was him she met first, and they fell into step with each other as they passed through the gates.

"I assume you're well?" Kyouya asked, noticing she still seemed a little pale. He wondered if Ranka had mentioned his visit- he stopped for dinner with the man in the end.

"I'm fine, thank you, Kyouya-senpai. It was just a little fever, but it's gone now." Haruhi smiled a little. Then, she frowned suddenly, looking puzzled. "Though… it was strange. I dreamt this really gentle touch, and I thought it was mom… It was really weird. Not like me at all."

_That makes two of us, _Kyouya thought, and allowed himself the luxury of a small smile. So, she didn't realise. And she had, for whatever reason, she had decided to confide in him, of all people. Clearly, she wasn't looking for sympathy, and he offered none. Instead, with that small smile, he replied "Perhaps you were simply delirious."


	5. 75 Disaster: Crash and Burn

A/N: Insert- Disclaimer and well wishes. I'm trying to think of something of interest to put here, but it doesn't seem to be working. XD Ah well.

#75- Disaster

Crash and Burn

_1,365 words_

The first Haruhi heard of it was when she was half way through cleaning the oven. Wrapped in rubber gloves and an apron, covered in grease, and having been kneeling down for almost half an hour now, she shouldn't have been smiling. But she was. The reason for her happiness she wouldn't have admitted, of course, but it was probably the prospect of Kyouya coming to visit her later. He'd been gone a long time, several months, on an exchange programme to Zurich. But he was coming home today, and he was coming to see her. She was sure it was simply to enrage Tamaki, but she was greatly anticipating it anyway.

However, she hadn't expected the doorbell to ring so early in the afternoon. Not worrying about the state she was in, she went to answer it; and on opening the door to Tamaki opened her mouth to berate him for turning up unannounced and interrupting her work, or else to warn him to keep the noise down because her dad was working nights and sleeping right now. But as soon as she made eye contact with him the words withered and died, and she could only stare. He was out of breath, as if he'd been running, but so pale; his eyes wide, and he seemed lost for words.

"Tamaki-senpai? What's the matter?"

"Haruhi…" He swallowed. "I need to talk to you."

He didn't meet her eye as he came inside, and when she sat down next to him, she noticed he was shaking. Haruhi wasn't unduly concerned, however, Tamaki had been known to overreact before- how bad could it be? How could he possibly have news that would shake her to the core, turn her world upside down, shatter it and bring it crashing down around her?

"Senpai?" She prompted. He swallowed again, and dared to meet her eye. His still held a panicked, pained look.

"Haruhi… It's…" He shook his head, and got to his feet, pacing the room. She'd never seen him this agitated. He walked back and forth, shaking his head slightly, mumbling. "I thought I ought to… but… I can't…" He finally stopped, stood uselessly for a moment, and then turned to the television, turning it on. Silently, he stepped away so she could see and gazed at the floor while the broadcast crept across the room.

Breaking news, of a broken story. The plane, from Zurich to Tokyo, crashing somewhere over China. Fire. Debris. Everything broken.

Haruhi stared. Slowly, her hand moved to her mouth. Silence.

"I… wanted to tell you myself, but…" Tamaki had moved to her side, was mumbling again. She found herself wondering why he had come here. To get comfort?

Or did he think she'd need comforting herself?

And, as it slowly sank into her mind; what of Kyouya?

They watched without speaking. As usual, they announced the number of a helpline to call, but when Tamaki tried there was no news. Haruhi was numb. One second she had been going to see him soon, and now she wouldn't see him again.

It wasn't fair.

She hadn't worked out why she had missed him so much yet, why she had been so happy at the idea of seeing him, why she had thought about him so much while he'd been away. She hadn't figured out how she felt yet.

She hadn't figured out how he felt yet.

He was meant to be coming to see her. He'd given his word. He was supposed to be coming back.

On screen, the hard-faced news reporter told of the disaster. Flames danced on a plane on the other side of the world.

The phone rang, but Haruhi did not answer it. Seeing it was Hikaru, Tamaki picked it up instead, and shortly announced that the others would be coming over.

Again, Haruhi wondered why they were all converging here- did they know something she didn't?

But she didn't think about it too hard. She wasn't thinking much at all.

Tamaki was sure his heart had broken. His best friend, gone; Haruhi, so unlike herself, outside herself, so vacant; both of them too far away to reach. He had been so happy at the prospect, in the darkness of the night before, of Kyouya coming home. Of his coming home, and Haruhi being happy again.

It wasn't meant to be like this. He was hurting so bad, he couldn't stand it, there was too much inside his head. And what of Haruhi?

Well, she wasn't hurting. There didn't seem to be any feeling at all.

The bell rang, and Haruhi automatically got to her feet; released temporarily from the intoxicating poison of the screen. Something inside her had broken off, and now, she could turn only to the living.

And standing in her doorway, very much alive, was Kyouya. He looked, as he so frequently did, mildly irritated; he looked travelled, rumpled, tired and care-worn; but he was here.

She could have stared, could have questioned. That was what she normally did. But this was not normal, and she forgot who he was, and who she was, and just held him as tightly as she could.

Kyouya, of course, was not sure what had caused this reaction. He certainly hadn't been expecting it. He'd reached his home shortly after midnight the day before, and now, following a good sleep, he'd come here. It had been five months since he had met anyone who could speak decent Japanese, and he had known Tamaki would be overblown and overbearing. There would be time for that later. But, more and more as time had gone by, he had found himself missing the way she spoke, unassuming but informed, prompting where it was needed, but not speaking unnecessarily. In fact, he'd been thinking about it a worrying amount. About her a worrying amount. He'd even bought her a present. He knew it was a silly notion, and had blamed his growing sentimentality on not being amazingly fluent in Swiss and so not being able to converse as intelligently, and yet…

And yet.

He had expected curious questions, greetings, a smile. Not this silent sign of desperate affection. Haruhi was not one for such displays.

For some reason, however, he was not so adverse to it here.

"Hello." She said, from somewhere in his shirt.

"Hello." He answered, wondering why his voice had taken such a strange tone. He had just decided that the appropriate course of action would be to wrap his own arms around her too- perhaps that would encourage her to let go?- when they were interrupted by Tamaki.

"Kyouya!" He said, and sounded so shocked that Kyouya might have suspected something had developed between the two of them while he'd been away had it not been for Tamaki's white face, and Haruhi's pounding heart against his skin.

When the others arrived, it was to a celebration. Kyouya had told them he would see them that day; but that was not the day he came home. He was there, and he was safe; and if absence had made the heart grow fonder the fear of never seeing him again seemed to have increased it ten fold. Haruhi couldn't seem to stop smiling, and despite the smug, knowing looks the others exchanged, Kyouya couldn't help but feel satisfied, gratified by it.

And when he got her on her own, and gave her the gift, and gave some perfectly rational excuse, she smiled and accepted it in a way that seemed to knock all rationality from his head.

Through the night, and the impromptu party of being reunited at last, the news played in the background; and the biggest, earth-shattering, heart-breaking disaster became known as a miracle.

On the flight that crashed between Zurich and Tokyo, nobody died. In fact, some argued that it gave everyone on board a new lease of life, new priorities and realisations. As for the two that had embraced so desperately in the doorway… something new grew there too, and raised to a shout, until they were so close that there was simply, and quite naturally, no way to let go.


	6. 55 Trip: Trips and Falls

A/N: And we thusly arrive at another of **Pocky's**. You can tell because she's so much better at the word count thing than me. XD But never mind! She doesn't own either, and please enjoy!

55- Trip 

_256 Words _

_Trips and Falls _

_Everything started with a trip…_Kyouya mused. He was so absorbed with thought that he could hardly hear the noises around him, couldn't see anything through half-open eyes.

"Kyouya-senpai?" Haruhi's voice cut through the meaningless babble.

_Yes…She tripped and went into that vase. If she hadn't, I'd never had had to charge her for anything. Then she wouldn't be here, in the host club…_

"Tamaki-senpai." Her voice again, sounded irritated. "Stop panicking."

_That blithering idiot wouldn't have fallen for her. He wouldn't have even realised she was a girl. _

_Trips…Trips and falls…That's what's happened…_

"Hikaru? Can you go and get the nurse please? Kyouya-senpai…Kyouya-senpai!"

_She tripped. I fell…Fell for what? I'm falling? _His thoughts were disorganised, rambling. He felt someone shake his shoulder gently.

"Kyouya-senpai?"

_Fell for…Fell for her? _

_Trips…Trips and falls._

_Have I…? _

"What happened?" A new voice, the nurse maybe?

"He fell." Haruhi explained. "And hit his head."

_That's stupid. I don't trip. I don't fall. _

_She did. She tripped. Funny…Thinking about it, she doesn't seem the falling sort. _

_So then, have I as well? _

"Ootori-kun? Come on, Ootori-kun. I need to know if you can hear me."

_Have I fallen… _

"Kyouya-senpai?"

_Fallen for… _

"Can you hear us?"

_Her? _

"Yes." He said suddenly. Yes, he could hear them. Yes, he had fallen for her.

"You've just had a bit of a fall, but you should be okay soon enough. Just bear with me for a moment."

_I've fallen…_

_But I'll be okay _

_With her…_


	7. 72 Lost: Passing By

A/N: Fluff fluff fluff. _(Happiness)_ This and 'Disaster' are some of my favourites (that I've written), I think. Alas, I don't own, but please enjoy!

#72- Lost

_Passing By_

_1,217 words_

Haruhi stirred her tea noisily. She didn't normally do this any louder then anyone else who partook in the beverage, but she was overcompensating for the silence of her companion. Kyouya, sitting opposite her, made no sound, or even any attempt at conversation.

It was excruciating.

Actually, Haruhi wasn't quite sure what he was doing there. She had _specifically _banned them all from visiting that weekend, with a look so scary they had all promised to comply- although Tamaki moped endlessly about it- and she though she hadn't pictured Kyouya being scared of her, she hadn't imagined him coming alone either. There had been no helping it, she desperately needed to catch up on the housework. She'd been meaning to clean the oven for weeks, but something had always come up; and just as she had been sufficiently covered in goo and the remnants of one of her father's somewhat violent curries, Kyouya had shown up on the doorstep.

She hadn't been able to turn him away, why she did not know. He didn't exactly deserve politeness, turning up not only unannounced and at a really bad time, but when she had explicitly asked them not to. She had compromised by telling him, quite sharply, that with her dad still on night shifts, he would have to be quiet so as not to wake him.

She hadn't expected him to take it so seriously. This was silent of Mori-esque proportions, but with none of the familiar comfort. She had long since realised Kyouya preferred to talk only out of necessity, was happy with that, but here expectation weighed heavily in the air. She was waiting for him to spit out whatever ulterior motive she suspected he was here for- he did nothing meaninglessly- and yet, it almost seemed he was waiting for her.

It was excruciating. She was dreading a revelation that he was keeping her in suspense over, and she was sure it wouldn't be good. Eventually, she could bear it no longer- and the oven was hardly cleaning itself- and she felt the need to ask.

"So, Kyouya-senpai, what brings you here?" She inquired.

Kyouya merely glanced at her over the rim of his cup, swallowed, and set the cup down. At last, he answered at his leisure and without quite meeting her eye: "I was simply passing by."

"Passing by…?" Haruhi repeated, sceptically. That wasn't like him at all, but she knew better than to question him. Often, she wouldn't want to know. "Where from?"

"Tamaki was so beside himself at your absence this weekend that he insisted we pursued more 'commoner culture'. He's convinced you don't enjoy the outings he arranges-"

"I don't." Haruhi answered, flatly.

"And that we should therefore adapt to activities befitting your status, that you're used to."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow. "What? Does he mean going to the cinema and things? Just because it's not private doesn't make a huge amount of difference. I just chose not to go."

"That's what I said." Kyouya smirked- no, smiled, a little. "You can imagine his reaction to my 'un-enthusiasm'."

Haruhi could. Very well. She resisted the urge to large at the imagined unimpressed look on Kyouya's face and said, in fairness, to Tamaki, "He means well."

"Undoubtedly."

Silence again.

"I take it you don't enjoy such pursuits either, Kyouya-senpai?"

Mild annoyance, as it so frequently did, passed over his features. "No, I do not. As Tamaki well knows."

"So you came here to escape, and annoy Tamaki-senpai, in one go?" She asked, still assessing his motives.

"If you wish to put it crudely, yes." Kyouya nodded his head in ascension, and finished his tea. Taking that as a signal of the end of the conversation, Haruhi stood up and collected the cups. She went toward the kitchen to wash them up and was surprised to find he followed.

"Kyouya-senpai?"

"It would be quite rude if I didn't help, wouldn't it?" He answered, picking up a tea towel. A tea towel had never looked so amazingly out of place. But, for all Haruhi's protests- and his inference of never having done such things before, as they were below him- he insisted. She recognised this as delaying tactics of presumably having to go and rejoin the others, wherever they were, and eventually conceded. However, she was not willing to bend completely to his will; and once the cups were done excused herself to go back to the oven, though he was welcome to stay. He did.

The silent stage seemed to have passed, and the conversation flowed as naturally as it could when one of the participants was busy with her head in an oven. Eventually, even that job was done, and Kyouya was out of excuses.

Haruhi, for her part, had been given plenty of time to wonder at this sudden preferential treatment over the rest of human kind, and draw two possible conclusions. The one seemed faintly ridiculous, that he preferred _her _company over the rest of human kinds', and moreover that he preferred _her _company over simply his own. Which, naturally, didn't seem fitting.

So, she reasoned, it must be her other conclusion- based on the last time she had spent an afternoon alone with Kyouya.

"Did Tamaki-senpai not expect your attempted escape?" Haruhi asked, innocently.

"I doubt it." Kyouya answered, quickly.

"Really? Then it's surprising he hasn't panicked yet and called your phone." She smirked, enjoying the single time she could get one over on him. She knew he'd make her regret it, but it was too good a chance to miss.

Kyouya answered in exasperation. "Fine. I don't have my phone, Haruhi, as you well know."

"Really? Why not?"

He glared. "Haruhi, stop this ridiculous questioning. You know the answer."

"Maybe, but I need to check." She answered, seriously. "So. I think they did the same as last time and confiscated your phone and your wallet in the hopes you wouldn't be able to 'escape' and go home until they returned them. But your pride at being kept against your will was bigger than your pride at coming here for help, and here you are- though you find it too hard to ask."

"Wrong. Actually, I fully intended to walk home."

"Then why come here?"

"I was, as I said earlier, passing by."

"When your house is in the opposite direction?"

For once, Kyouya was at a loss for words. Haruhi rubbed her forehead.

"Why not admit it? You got lost. You got lost and stumbled on this place, right?"

Kyouya merely coughed in embarrassment. Haruhi couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I suppose you've never walked before… and I've never bussed into the rich end of town… I guess we're walking."

And so, Haruhi walked Kyouya home. It was surprisingly pleasant. Neither of them were particularly in the habit of smiling, but the expression came to both of them on the journey; a fitting ending to what had been a shockingly enjoyable afternoon. All things considered, Kyouya couldn't help think when he was alone, in spite of the wasted time and the compromises on his dignity, it had been nice.

Getting lost, he decided, was a startlingly worthwhile pursuit. He'd have to do it again, perhaps. He would, of course, only be passing by.


	8. 13 Death

A/N: Bah. **Pocky **grabbed the most angst-tastic word available. XD I can't hold it against her, however, because she's done a bang-up job, as I'm sure you'll agree! Usual disclaimer and please enjoy!

Death 

_Dad always said that when mum died, part of him died too. _Haruhi stood still as leaves swirled around her ankles. She stared into the hard stone, at the name engraved on it. That same name was engraved forever on her heart. Tears stung her eyes, and she stubbornly held them back. It had been years now, but it still hurt, hurt so much she didn't know how she had managed to survive this long, carrying the unbearable pain with her.

Unable to look any longer, she watched a bird beat it wings powerfully and fly away, shaking the branch it had stood on, scattering leaves onto the wind. _A part of him…_She shook her head again, forcing herself to concentrate.

For years, she had been trying to find something to replace the gaping hole the death had left in her. Now, years later, she realised nothing, nobody would ever be able to take her his place. But they could give her something a little different, fill another part of her that she never knew was missing. _A part…_

And that's what he'd done. Maybe he hadn't even realised it, but he had given her so much more than she could've asked of him, of anyone.

But that was just the way Kyouya was. He always had the best of everything, and gave nothing less.

She looked back at the grave, at the familiar name written on it. She hadn't realised how much she would miss him, and now…He was gone. And so, in a small way, was she. _When he died, part of me…_She'd loved him as a friend, always a friend.

Yet he was the best, most caring friend she had ever known.

And he wouldn't want her to be alone now.

Haruhi took a deep breath, as he joined her, wordlessly staring at the carefully cared for grave. Slowly, the others joined her, standing behind her, supporting her.

"Tamaki-senpai?" She said tentatively, feeling her face heat up and tears run unchecked down her face. She felt _his _hand support hers. "We did it." She smiled briefly up at Kyouya, who was holding her hand. A ringed hand. "We finally got married, okay?"

As soon as he had heard of Haruhi and Kyouya dating each other, Tamaki had pestered Kyouya into proposing. And yet, when he had, Tamaki hadn't been there to see it.

"I know," Haruhi swallowed, and started again. "I know how much you would've wanted to be there."

"It was fantastic, Tono." Hikaru said softly. "You would've loved it." he snaked an arm around Haruhi's neck, Kaoru on her other side. "Haruhi looked so cute in her dress. Just like one of your fantasies."

"Only cuter." Kaoru smiled sadly.

"Tama-chan, we saved you some of the flowers." Honey, though so much older now, was still the same cute cake-loving boy he had once been. Mori laid them on his grave, and they stepped back, silently staring at it, remembering. Remembering him, and all he had been to them. Kyouya struggled for the right words to say. He had lost his oldest, closest friend. It had been years, and yet it had taken him years to do one of Tamaki's last requests.

"Our old designators were most surprised when we told them Haruhi was a girl." He took hold of her hand again. She was the only one to who he would admit about how he was still hurting over Tamaki. He knew she felt the same way, and it brought them together, to support and encourage each other. "Though they would've been even more surprised if we let them carry on thinking she was a boy." They smiled half-heartedly.

"We did good, right…" Haruhi paused. "Ootou-san?"


	9. 39 Father: Nobody's Child

A/N: This is for anyone who's ever looked at Kyouya and thought of the mafia. XD Seriously, though, I think perhaps I missed a good opportunity to write about Ranka-san. Hmm. I'm sure I'll fit him in elsewhere! In the meantime, I don't own, and please enjoy!

#39- Father

Nobody's Child

_2, 128 words_

There was a child sleeping in the next room. A child with neither a mother, nor, now, a father. Somebody evidently thought she hadn't suffered enough; or that Kyouya had learnt enough pain. The child sleeping in the next room was not his, just a reminder of everything he had lost over the years.

He wondered, sometimes, if the decisions he'd made could have stopped all this. He had been the one, when Tamaki was trying to build up the courage to ask Haruhi out, to get so tired of it that he eventually forced him into it. He was the one, when the two were dating, behind the scenes convincing Tamaki not to go too over the top and serve only to annoy her. When they got married, he had stood as the best man, and when their daughter, Marie, was born, he was named the godfather.

Which was ridiculous.

And why had he done this? It was simple, really. He was not the romantic kind, as Tamaki had been, and despite his protests to the contrary he had somehow befriended the idiot over the years. As for Haruhi, he loved her; but he had not acted on it. He was not the romantic kind, as Tamaki had been, and had naively believed that there was no reason to act upon feelings that had come unbidden. Tamaki had moved first, and won. So Kyouya had missed the chance, and did not compete. He had determined to move on.

Yet, here he was, alone in the house, except for a child who was not his.

They had all been shocked by the accident, three years or so dead now. Tamaki had been driving, but it hadn't been his fault- another driver on the road spun out of control, and Tamaki swerved to avoid, but the cars had collided, oil on the road, a barrier, a ditch, and flames. He'd gotten out, he'd dragged his then eight year old daughter out, and tried desperately to rescue, and revive his wife. Haruhi died that day, and, they had always agreed, so had Tamaki. Kyouya had no doubt he would have lain down and let go of life in that ditch had it not been for the crying, bleeding girl by his side. He loved her unbearably, and let go of Haruhi only to pull her close.

Even so, he hadn't been the same. Whatever spark was in him seemed to be all but extinguished, his sole purpose now to keep going, and to take care of his daughter. At first, he was hardly capable, and in those days Kyouya saw a lot more of him and his goddaughter. This continued as Tamaki fell ill, just as his mother once had; and Kyouya thought that perhaps, had Haruhi been there, he would have got through. But Haruhi was not there, and just a few weeks ago, Tamaki had finally gone.

Kyouya had not cried or grieved- he had mourned both of his friends years ago, when the car rolled. He had simply done all the necessary arrangements and left it at that, in some ways relieved that Tamaki wasn't drawing things out any longer, and he could go back to remembering how he had been, once, and be happily exasperated at him.

Of course, there was the question of Marie.

It had somehow fallen to him, the godfather, to look after her for a while. He hadn't been best assured of the wisdom of this- he had never been particularly good with her, or had any want to be- and he had hardly expected this role when the title was given to him. He doubted Haruhi would have expected it to come to this, or she would never have let Tamaki do it. That thought gave him some wry amusement, at least; and in truth it was only because of his feelings for her, and his long duty towards him, that he had taken the child in.

Just for a little while.

Kyouya was _hardly _a suitable father figure.

But she was crying in the next room, he could hear, and knew that Tamaki would come back and haunt him if he did not go to her. So he went.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Marie was eleven years old and all but alone in the world. Now she had no father, no mother, and no other family. All she had was one man, who she affectionately called 'uncle', because she could not look at Kyouya and think 'godfather' without inviting all sorts of mafia connections. He was so unlike her father, dark haired and serious, reluctant to smile instead of giving them freely. He had such a dry sense of humour she'd never been sure if he was joking or not, apart from one occasion when he'd told her that when she was born his immediate reaction was 'Please, let her turn out like Haruhi'.

Although, that was probably true.

She had known him her whole life, trusted him, yes; loved him as her family, even. But he was not her father, and he had no intention of being so. She missed her parents bitterly, she missed the home life she'd once had, and when tomorrow came-

"Uncle?" She said, surprised by his suddenly appearing in the doorway of her borrowed bedroom.

"You're crying." He stated, awkwardly.

"Sorry." She replied, hating her own weakness and trying to wipe her eyes. "I'm… I try not to, but… I can't help it!"

"I'd imagine most people would cry a lot more, if they were you." He answered calmly, which didn't make her feel much better about her circumstance; but reassured her that he did not think her weak. Somehow, this improved her confidence, and, coupled with the desperation to talk to someone, _anyone_, she continued.

"It just feels like… like there's too much in my head… and nothing left inside me!"

Kyouya looked at her for a few moments. "Get up." He said, eventually.

"What?"

"Get out of bed, and come downstairs. We're emptying your head out."

"But… it's so late… Dad always-"

"Yes, but your father never had to let you deal with his own death, did he?"

Marie sometimes wondered if he was even _trying _to make her feel any better. Still, she dutifully climbed out of bed and, pulling on a dressing gown, followed him downstairs.

"What are we-?"

"Empting your head." He repeated, cutting her off, and muttering something about how she asked too many questions, much like somebody else he had once known. She only wondered when he had become so grumpy, or if he had always been that way. "The easiest way to do so," he continued. "Is to watch something mindless."

"Like… a film?"

"Yes." Suddenly, he looked doubtful. "Though, I hardly have a wide collection- and probably nothing that is going to appeal to an eleven year old girl…" Kyouya was thinking, suddenly, of a time after Haruhi's death when Tamaki had been worried about Marie not having any female influences; until Kyouya had pointed out Tamaki was far more likely to encourage the 'pink and girly' then Haruhi ever was. He, however, owned only eleven DVDs- he had very little time for them- and nothing fitting that description.

"Um… do you have Kill Bill?"

Kyouya didn't really have the taste for such films, but the twins had given it to him years ago, and so, for a split second, he actually considered it. Then he had a vague recollection of Tamaki and Marie arguing- all her friends had seen it, but he claimed she would watch it 'over his dead body'. So perhaps it wasn't a good idea.

Although, _technically_… No. He raised an eyebrow slightly, but offered a compromise. Die Hard. He was glad to know she had a good head on her shoulders, like her mother, and an appreciation of Bruce Willis and large explosions; which neither of her parents did.

Actually, he'd never admitted it to anyone before.

Yet, even terrorists couldn't chase all the shadows away that settled in around the two, and about half way through she turned to him and dared to ask what she'd been wanting to for so long.

"D'you miss them?"

Kyouya's immediate instinct was to lie, but then he saw there was no benefit in it. "Yes." He said, simply. And though Marie never told him, it helped to know that she wasn't alone. That, even if they didn't talk about it, she wasn't the only one hurt. But there was another question, that had been burning inside her since she was old enough to know what love was. Finally, she dared to ask.

"Did you love her? My mom?"

Kyouya was startled. "What?"

Marie did not repeat the question. "I just wondered." She said, petulantly, and returned to watching the film. She almost didn't hear Kyouya's quiet response in the positive. Perhaps she was too young yet to grasp the full implication of this, of what Kyouya had lost to his best friend, what he had never fought for. To her, she was just satisfied that there were two of them. Two of them that had been hurt and that were holding on. She had not yet learnt that sometimes, you had to let go of the past.

As the credits began to roll, Kyouya stood up, glancing at the clock. "There. Did mindless entertainment drain you?"

"Yeah." She answered, but made no move to get up. In fact, she looked even more miserable; and Kyouya was at a loss.

"What's the matter now?" He asked, exasperated, mentally adding 'apart from the obvious'.

"I don't want to go to bed." She admitted. "I don't want to sleep. I don't want tomorrow to come."

Kyouya sighed, running a hand through his hair and sat back down. "They'll take good care of you."

"They're _social workers_. I've seen the films and read the books- kids in care go crazy!"

"That's not true." Kyouya answered. "They'll find you a home. A good home… where you'll be happy, and have affection and love, and… and all those other things a child needs."

"I don't want it." She answered. "I don't want the love and affection and kindness of a stranger. I had that from my parents, and it's gone, and I don't want imitations!"

"Then what _do _you want, Marie-chan?"

"I want my parents! But I can't have them, so I don't want… I don't want… _replacements_!"

For a moment, her tone surprised him. She was getting as flustered as Tamaki, but there was all the strength in her voice of Haruhi. She was a living, breathing, constant reminder of what he had lost; his goddaughter. She was a child, he realised, but she was clever, and she knew what she wanted- and what she didn't.

"If that's the case," He said, flatly. "If you don't think you need love or affection or attention, if you think all you need is a roof over your head and clothes and food, then stay. Just stay and find out."

She blinked at him. "Really?"

Kyouya nodded. "If you like."

She stared a moment longer, and then suddenly leapt across the sofa to hug him, crying again. And despite the fact he had promised her no affection, he allowed himself a minor lapse, and held her too.

Kyouya had never expected to find himself in a father's role, particularly to a child who was not his. But she was hers. He always loved Haruhi, and as time went on, he grew to love her daughter as his own as well. It just took him a while to realise it. Marie, on the other hand, had always known; and though she had just stayed on initially at Kyouya's as a 'trial period', she'd known she would stay as long as he'd have her. He was not her father, but he was a man who had grown up with him, and a man who had loved her mother. He was not, as he had warned, very affectionate or even attentive, but he formed her protector and her guide, who could answer- or at least find out- anything she ever needed to know. He would make sure she did not forget her parents, accompany her when she wished to visit their graves, procure from their old friends treasures for her to keep. Tamaki and Haruhi were never forgotten, but remained safely in the hearts of both, and as Marie grew, graduated, married, had children of her own, and told her own grandchildren of her childhood, she was proud to tell them of Kyouya. He was not her father, but she stopped calling him uncle. He would be, forever in her memory, her godfather.


	10. 17 Play: The Act

A/N: And here we have the last of them, for now. This is number seventeen, Play, and it's quite good fun. No angst in this one, I promise; I'm just trying to make you laugh this time! I'm still not sure if I should post these in future as we write them or in bulk… let me know what you prefer, okay? Anyways, as usual, I don't own; and away we go!

#17- Play

The Act

_1,868 words_

It was a relatively simple matter, that Kyouya completed every morning before school- sorting out a list of designators for each of their hosts to warn them who was coming and give them time during the day to think about how best to cater to their needs. However, his typing speed was approximately halved when Tamaki would insist on holding his hand.

"Get off me." He said, flatly.

"Kyouya." Tamaki said softly, kneeling by his side. "Why do you always push people away who just want to care about you?"

"I haven't touched you." Kyouya answered, trying to pull away, annoyance evident.

"I know you haven't." Tamaki sighed. "Would it hurt so much, be so difficult, to show affection once in a while? It pains me to see you so far away, Kyouya."

"Then don't look." Kyouya snapped, finally managing to free himself from Tamaki's surprisingly strong grip.

"Kyouya!" Tamaki said in frustration, getting to his feet. "Can't you at least _try _to get into it?!"

"No."

Meanwhile, the twins were howling with laughter. It was just too funny.

"Rejected, Tono!"

"Stop it!" Tamaki said, angrily. "Stop laughing!"

The twins composed themselves, and threw an arm easily around each other. You can only imagine what would happen if Tamaki tried the same thing on Kyouya.

"Face it, Tono." Kaoru said, not _too _unkindly. "No-one could do that act as well as we can."

"So I guess we'll keep outselling you for a while longer!" Hikaru added, gleefully. This was, of course, the root of the problem. For the first time, the twins had overtaken Tamaki for the top spot in bringing in the most customers, and over the few short weeks they'd enjoyed this they hadn't let Tamaki forget it. Now he was determined to bring things back round his way… and it seemed the twins' act had the most appeal. But Kyouya wasn't having any of it.

"Kyouya…" Tamaki whined desperately, hoping the puppy dog eyes would eventually, as they had so many times before, prevail.

They did not.

"No."

"Then…" Tamaki was thinking hard. If Kyouya would continue being selfish, he'd have to find someone else- but it wouldn't work half as well. Besides, the twins had each other and the designators loved the relationship as it was between Honey and Mori; which only left… "Haruhi?"

The girl in question was supposedly ignoring them all, reading ahead to the chapter she'd be given in the next lesson. However, it had been impossible to pay attention to how verbs changed with tenses when such an extremely bizarre scene taking place. It had been bad enough watching Kyouya inadvertedly playing a role without meaning too, without having to do it _herself_. She wouldn't do it. It didn't matter how much Tamaki bothered her or assured her it would be great, she wouldn't do it. She couldn't. And he wouldn't bother her that much, surely, for he was reasonably quick to forgive and also knew that she wasn't when she didn't want to be. He'd probably just go back to bugging Kyouya, his first and last resort.

Haruhi thought for a moment, considered. Then, not quite sure what she was doing, found herself saying awkwardly "Alright.", and going to stand in front of him. It was almost worth it, she thought, to see the faces of the others. The twins looked mortified, Honey merely surprised, and even on Mori's impassive face his eyebrow had developed a curious twitch of amusement or amazement. Tamaki, as if suddenly realising what her acceptance would entail, had gone a brilliant red. It must have been a shocking move, she noticed, because even Kyouya had stopped what he was doing, fingers motionless on the keyboard, in favour of staring at her instead.

He had an extremely piercing gaze, and she could feel it probing her motives, but for once, finding none. Perhaps Kyouya still didn't understand selfless acts.

"Oh… um… Okay." Tamaki said, slowly, and sensing his embarrassment would soon give way to delight, she said hurriedly:

"As long as it's only an act."

"Yes, it's only an act." Tamaki repeated, and seemed to gain confidence with this. It didn't matter what he did, really, if it wasn't real. So without the usual terror and blushes even thinking about such an action would entail, he took her hands gently in his. The script he'd worked out with Kyouya wouldn't work, of course, but he had always been good at improvising.

"Haruhi…" He said, slowly. "Your hands. They're not like anyone else's I've ever seen…"

Haruhi was not so good at improvising, but she could answer questions. "That's because you've never seen anyone's hands that have spent a long time in washing up water, I expect, Senpai."

He looked at her with an expression of deep sadness. He really was very good at this. "I hate it, Haruhi. I hate to think of you doing such work!"

She could think of nothing, so said nothing.

"I promise you," Tamaki said, suddenly pulling her close, holding her tightly. "I promise you that, one day, Haruhi, I'll make it so you don't have to do such things again."

Haruhi was about to comment that it was only washing up, but before she could, and before Hikaru could regain movement and cause Tamaki to get his hands off her, Kyouya stood up.

"I'm finished." He declared.

"What? But, Kyou-chan, you haven't printed the lists yet." Honey pointed out. Kyouya glared at him, and even the martial arts master didn't dare argue.

"Tamaki." Kyouya snapped. "Are you ready?"

"Eh?" Tamaki blinked at him. "I thought you didn't-"

"Not while I was working." Kyouya said, shortly. "You know I'm always ready to bring more designators in."

"Oh." Tamaki was obviously surprised, but smiled. "I didn't realise!"

"Let's just get on with it, if we must."

Still within Tamaki's arms, Haruhi blinked at him stupidly. "Eh? Kyouya-senpai…?" She stepped away as Tamaki let go of her to take gratefully hold of his best friend's hands.

"Kyouya! Thank you! Merci! I know we will be wonderful! Our friendship shall appear as the most shining love!"

Kyouya twitched. It took all his self restraint not to pull away.

"How is this going to work?" Hikaru consulted his brother and Haruhi in a whisper.

"Beats me." Kaoru replied "When the designators want Tono to love _them_."

"And… Kyouya-senpai doesn't look too happy, either." Hikaru added, and the other two nodded in agreement as Tamaki tried his acting out again. He had some how produced an example script, and grateful for the excuse to avoid contact, Kyouya was holding it.

"Kyouya." Tamaki said softly, "Why do you always push people away who just want to care about you?"

Kyouya saw that he wasn't meant to say anything, just to look away. He was pleased at this.

"Would it hurt so much, be so difficult, to show affection once in a while? It pains me to see you so far away, Kyouya."

Now, he had to speak. He read with difficulty, the words almost chocked him. "And if I came closer, what's to say that I wouldn't be hurt?"

Tamaki glanced up. "Come on, Kyouya, with _feeling_!"

Kyouya sighed, cleared his throat, but when he spoke again, the monotony of blatantly read speech was gone. It sounded natural, and sad. "And if I came closer, what's to say that I wouldn't be hurt?"

"Kyouya, I swear, I would never let that happen."

Reminding himself _extremely _firmly why he was doing this, Kyouya replied: "How can you, Tamaki, when you've hurt me-"

"_Stop it_!" The interruption came from Haruhi, on her feet and exploding. "I can't stand it anymore! Stop it, Kyouya-senpai! Stop degrading yourself for the sake of a few customers!"

"Haruhi?"

But she was gone, accompanied by a stunned silence.

"Is Haru-chan okay?" Honey asked, worriedly.

"She doesn't have a problem when _we _do it." The twins said to one another.

Tamaki was looking at his script doubtfully. "Was it that bad?"

"Yes." Kyouya answered flatly, screwing his copy up into a ball and forcing it into Tamaki's chest. "Keep it." And he picked up his bag, leaving too.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"You left your laptop." Tamaki tried, as he arrived at their form time that morning. He placed it Kyouya's desk, a peace offering, but the person in question took it without a word. Tamaki tried again. "Hey, Kyouya, they're doing French cuisine in the canteen today! I'll show you all the best stuff, no?"

"No." Kyouya agreed, pointedly pulling out a book and reading it. No matter what Tamaki said or did, he got no response, and when it was time to go to their first lesson Kyouya left without a word. This continued the rest of the day, and Tamaki's dejection grew. News of the argument quickly spread, and though hardly anyone knew the supposed reason (that Kyouya had hated the suggested act) and nobody, including Kyouya, knew the real reason (that Tamaki had made Haruhi mad at him), and the end of the day saw Tamaki surrounded by a flood of girls determined to comfort him or reconcile him with his friend. Tamaki would have been greatly cheered by the fact his dominance had been established were it not for the fact Kyouya was still ignoring him; and now he could not try to make peace because he was surrounded by customers.

In fact, nobody went near Kyouya. His aura was far too evil for everyone except the bravest at heart, and those that were oblivious to it. And there was only one person that applied to.

"Kyouya-senpai." Haruhi said, determinedly, gently setting down a tray containing a cup and a small teapot. He glanced up at her, not really wanting to meet her eye but seeing he had no choice.

"Tea? Thank you."

She picked the pot up, but didn't pour. "It's been bothering me. Why did you agree to do… _that_ this morning?"

"Why did you?" Kyouya shot back.

And she sighed in exasperation. "To get you out of it."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you'd tear Tamaki-senpai in two." She added, hastily. "And, I couldn't stand seeing you- Oh! But, why did you do something so… demeaning?"

Kyouya smirked slightly, and decided, just once, to be honest. "Because I couldn't stand to see Tamaki all over you."

"Oh." She said, not quite sure what to say to that. She poured him some tea instead, and lifted it to pass to him. Kyouya took it, but she didn't remove her hand in time, so that his lay over hers, around the cup.

"Here's to being _absolutely _not gay." Kyouya commented, mildly.

"I'll drink to that." Haruhi agreed, though she didn't have a cup.

They smiled knowingly, gratefully at each other.

And the designators screamed, scaring them both to death; before they found themselves swallowed by an influx of people screaming about moe.

Tamaki was quite peeved they'd 'stolen his idea' to get more designators, but he couldn't deny it worked. And the best thing was, he didn't have a fit every time they were close to one another.

After all, it was only an act.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-


	11. 05 River: Surprising Things

A/N: Tried to make this slightly more conclusive and fluffy… with the result it's gone OOC. _(eye roll) _Ah well, please enjoy regardless! And I don't own!"

#05- River

Surprising Things

_2,200 words_

Kyouya supposed the revelation shouldn't have surprised him. When Tamaki had announced the Host Club would be having an event at a lake, Haruhi had protested even more violently than usual. Even when she had been dragged along, and the twins had thoughtfully provided her with plenty of dark coloured t-shirts so she could swim in them and not give herself away as anything other than extremely modest, she hadn't gone near the water. Many of the designators had wanted her to. Kyouya had enticed her first with a reduction to her debt if she did swam, and then with the threat that if she didn't swim the designators she had today wouldn't be counted.

He had been surprised when she still hadn't given in, and had realised. And she had known he realised, because she told him.

The thing was, Haruhi couldn't swim. She looked out a little wistfully to where the other hosts and the girls were swimming around or splashing in the shallows below the setting sun. She admitted that it didn't normally bother her, but it was something she always meant to learn how to do. Of course, it was too embarrassing to go to her local pool to try and learn in public, not to mention how much it would cost to go every week.

And they were interrupted by some more girls coming and begging her to swim with them.

Kyouya calculated. They had another two days here. He grabbed her hand and hauled her up.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?"

He merely raised an eyebrow and answered "You think they're going to notice we've gone anytime soon?"

She followed him. This may have been because he was still pulling on her hand; so, naturally, it would have been a silly idea for him to let go. He lead her away from the noise and laughter, to where the river ran into the lake, and then onwards. The trees grew up around, thicker and thicker, the river winding between them, the setting sun casting down between the leaves, which swayed in the wind and caused light and shadows to dance across the slow moving water, turning it golden.

"This will do." He said, calmly letting go of her hand and beginning to take his shirt off.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Haruhi was taken aback.

"Removing my shirt. However, I suggest you keep yours on." He didn't look at her, walking down the bank and wading into the water. "Come on."

"What?"

"You're learning to swim."

And that was the first surprising thing. That he wanted to teach her.

She moved back, shaking her head. "Oh, no."

"You said you wanted to learn."

"But… not here!"

"Why not? We're closed off, so no-one will see; the water's clean and shallow and slow moving… I'd say it's perfect." Kyouya smirked at her. "Unless you're scared."

"I'm not scared of water!" She protested, fiercely.

His smirk widened. "I never said it was the water you were afraid of. Now, come on."

Still, she hesitated. "You're not going to add the price of tuition to my debt, are you?"

"No."

She seemed confused, but nodded and came tentatively into the water. He had never before quite realised the height difference between them. Here, the water was at his waist, but it was almost to her chest.

"Okay." She said, and for a moment he was thrown by the trust in her eyes, but also something a bit cynical, sceptical. "But don't expect much. People have tried to teach me before, you know."

"You'll manage."

And that was second surprising thing. That he was encouraging her.

So thrown was she by this encouragement that she didn't notice him coming close, standing behind her. She noticed, however, how close he was; closer then he had been before, as he took hold firmly hold of her arms and stretched them out in front of her.

"Kyouya-senpai?"

"I'm not insulting you or the host club by teaching you the doggie paddle." He said, matter-of-factly. "You, Haruhi, are going to learn the breast stroke."

"That's what you think."

But he took the same meticulous attention to this as he did to everything else. Already, he was in front of her again, and taking hold of her hands, bending them into scoop shapes.

And that was the third surprising thing. That he was so gentle.

"Right. Now, watch." He said, demonstrating as he spoke. "It's up and out and round and in, up and out- Haruhi, are you listening?"

"Sorry." She said. She had been distracted by the waves his arms were creating, and feeling the small disturbances hit her, and imagining being carried away down the river with them.

"Fine. Pay attention. It's up and out and round- Haruhi!"

She jolted, trying to banish the thoughts of how like a stern tutor he was and pay attention.

"Kyouya-senpai, I just don't think I'm meant to-"

He splashed her.

And that was the fourth surprising thing. That he acted his age.

"No defeatist attitudes." He told her.

"Fine. Then I won't be defeated." She answered, and splashed him back.

It seemed he had not been expecting it, as he stood for a second, dripping, the light catching the water on his body. Then he glared and gave chase.

Haruhi quickly found that running in water didn't really help, and with his quick strokes he quickly caught up, but before he could splash her she tripped on one of the bumps in the river bed. She would have gone under, had she not been caught in wet arms.

"If I let go now," He said, calmly. "You would probably drown."

"Then please don't let go."

He pulled her up instead, setting her back on her feet. "Then, let's swim."

Paying attention this time, she quickly got the hang of the arm movements, and it pleased him. The leg movements were much harder- she could not do them without going under, and Kyouya was fed up of the unpleasantness of his heart stopping every time she did. But, he admired her. She didn't panic when her head went under, just knew all she had to do was stand. And even though she was spluttering, her eyes shone with determination, another battle to win.

Still, after the third time, he decided this wasn't good for her lungs, and came close. "Hold on."

"What?"

"Do you want to keep sinking? Hold on."

Doubtfully, she did, hooking arms around his neck, and he held her waist, just below the water level. Gradually, her legs came higher in the water, she started to get the hang of it. After a while, he let her down, and said:

"Ready to put it together?"

And perhaps many people would have been doubtful. Perhaps many would have been afraid of making a mistake and said no. But she merely nodded resolutely.

Haruhi did not manage it the first time, or the second, or third. Or the fifth, sixth, or seventh times. Or the eighth, ninth, or tenth, for that matter. If anything, she got worse, because she found it awfully distracting that Kyouya wasn't behaving at all as she'd expect him to.

And that was the fifth surprising thing. That he could be patient.

He came to help her again. Perhaps she should have felt embarrassed at being supported in the water, hands on her waist and then right beside her, should she need them. But she didn't. Everything was going into an ardent desire to do it this time; to learn to swim here, now, in the gathering darkness, in a river, with the shadow king. Who was proving himself to be, in many ways, much less a demon than people often saw.

Another failed attempt. She just floundered on the spot unless he held her afloat, it seemed. Slight dejection sunk her shoulders.

"If you're going to give up I'll splash you again."

"It's not easy." She defended, none the less preparing to try again. "My dad can't swim either, my parents never taught me."

"Nor did mine." Kyouya admitted. "I learnt pretty fast, when I fell off a yacht. I was ten at the time. Ironically, before that, I had been terrified of water- I wouldn't go near it, they had a right job getting me onto the boat to begin with. Drowning, water; it was all my biggest fear. Until I fell in, and I had to survive, and I realised it wasn't so bad."

And that was the seventh surprising thing. That he could open up to people.

"Really…?" Haruhi's eyes were thoughtful, far away, trying to imagine yet another side of Kyouya she hadn't seen.

"No, that's a lie, actually." He admitted. "And one more thing."

Outraged, Haruhi turned to him. "What now?"

Kyouya merely nodded behind them, and she realised with a jolt that they had- _she _had- swum a good ten metres in the course of the conversation, without even noticing. It was that easy.

She smiled at him, and Kyouya carefully filed away the feelings that smile made twist in his stomach for later observation. He had known that she, like him, would be happy at defeating a challenge. However, he had not anticipated her being so happy that she grabbed him around the neck again, almost knocking him over. He stumbled back, but supported her weight.

"See?" He said, satisfied.

"Thank you, Kyouya." She answered, and abruptly let go, still grinning. "Let's make sure it wasn't a fluke though, okay?"

They continued for a further hour or so, practising, until one of them realised how dark it was. They climbed out of the river, and followed it back towards where the lake, and their holiday home, was. Kyouya had a dry shirt to put on, but he noticed Haruhi was shivering, and with nothing to offer her hurried the pace a little. Clumsy as ever, she stumbled in the dark, and he took her hand again, smirking at the quizzical look she gave him.

"You asked me not to let go."

They had emerged now, and the lake was deserted; though lights blared in the windows of the house. There were sounds of chaos within. Presumably their absence had been noted and without either of them to mediate things madness reigned.

"What are they going to think?" Haruhi muttered, not wanting to face them just yet. "Senpai… I want to swim in the lake. While I'm still wet."

He let her go, came nearer to the house, and stood and watched as she determinedly splashed her way out. In an instant, Tamaki was upon him.

"Kyouya?! Where have you been?! I was just coming out to look for you! And where's Haruhi?! What have you been doing?!"

Now, obviously, it would have been a totally un-gentleman like action to tell him the truth; and besides, what was he alluding to? So Kyouya informed him, quite calmly, that Haruhi was swimming in the lake to cool off after an evening of passionate kissing in the woods.

And that was the ninth surprising thing about Kyouya. When he was in a good mood, his sense of humour found a strange way of presenting itself.

He was _sure _she'd forgive him if she could see Tamaki's face. Naturally, that did not mean she would want to have spent the evening in such a way.

Not that he would have either.

Obviously.

Tamaki's shock had faded enough for him to be preparing to go ballistic when Haruhi ran over, very happy.

"Once round the lake! I know it's not much, but it's a start!" And here was the strange thing about Haruhi. She got very affectionate when she was happy, and grabbed hold of him again. "Seriously, you've been really sweet today. I don't know what's gotten into you, but thank you for everything." In a surprisingly feminine way, she pecked him on the cheek and released him, saying something about needing dry clothes. She calmly greeted Tamaki before heading inside.

Tamaki was still standing there stunned, and Kyouya was trying to stamp his smile down into his usual impassive look.

But the surprising thing about Kyouya was that he didn't try too hard. The surprising thing about Kyouya was that he didn't want to let it end there. He followed Haruhi.

"You impressed me with your determination." He stated. "But you surprised me, doing things by halves."

"What do you mean?"

"That you only kissed my cheek."

And the tenth surprising thing about Kyouya was that he was as forward about what he wanted in a relationship as he was with everything else.

Or perhaps it wasn't that surprising.

What surprised Haruhi, however, was the willingness of both parties to correct her earlier error. Like the estuaries of a river their lives had somehow flowed together, and, for now, she was happy for them to stay there; wide, fast flowing, and carrying them to new places.

But first, she kissed him; properly, on the lips.

And the eleventh surprising thing about Kyouya was that he did not pull away.

But the most surprising thing was that neither of them wanted to.


	12. 88 Blood

-1A/N: This is another by **PockyPirate**. The song, in case there is actually someone out there who hasn't heard it, is 'Bleeding Love' by Leona Lewis, and we neither own that nor Ouran. Youtube it. XD

88-Blood

_Closed off from love  
I didn't need the pain  
Once or twice was enough  
And it was all in vain  
Time starts to pass  
Before you know it you're frozen_

Kyouya watched the host club with cool, expressionless eyes, looking over the top of his glasses and impatiently brushing a lock of hair out of his way. He stared at his best friend, acting so enthusiastically the part of love. Kyouya sighed inwardly. That was all love was, wasn't it? Just an act-a way of getting what you wanted.

But if that was the case, what did Tamaki want from his designators?

Kyouya looked again at the blond, now gently running his fingers through a girl's hair. She wasn't particularly beautiful, or extraordinary in any way, yet, at the moment he was treating her as the most important person in the room. And, at that moment, it seemed difficult to believe that Tamaki was in it for anything but simply making people happy.

It would all end in disappointment, Kyouya thought bitterly. Sooner or later, the girl would have to face the fact that he didn't really love her. He shook his head-and his eyes fell on Haruhi. She looked up and quickly turned away, but in that short second of contact, she showed him that she was hurt. Her eyes were big, round, full of pain and regret.

But maybe his were, as well.

Love. Just a way of getting what you want.

It never ended well.

He knew. He'd been there-and he was never going to go there again. It was too much, too much pain. For such a short period where he'd believed that he could be happy. He was learning to cut himself off emotionally. If he never loved anything or anyone-that was the only possible way to succeed in business.

_But something happened  
For the very first time with you  
My heart melts into the ground  
Found something true  
And everyone's looking round  
Thinking I'm going crazy_

It had started a month or so ago. Kyouya's father had arranged yet another 'suitable' match for him. She would further their business by an incredible amount-and end the tension between their rival companies. She was perfect in everyway, for everyone, apart from Kyouya.

He had tried to explain it. Marriage was supposed to be for love, not some petty disagreement over stocks. He didn't want to marry her-and she didn't want to marry him. She had a boyfriend.

So his father had set the challenge. _"If you can find a girl who you love before business, but at the same time will advantage us, I'll let you chose your own wife." _

It had been the perfect escape. The girl got to go with her boyfriend, and he had a chance of freedom. He already knew the girl he would chose.

Haruhi. Smart enough to help the business. Haruhi. Passably beautiful-and his mother would have nothing less. Haruhi. The only girl who didn't drive him mad with stupid twittering.

So he'd asked her. And to his great surprise, she said yes. Without waiting to hear his purely professional reasons for asking her.

And, as the months passed, he'd found, with some surprise, that he liked Haruhi. _Really _liked her. He never thought such a thing was possible, but it had happened. His brothers and sister noted with some amusement that he seemed happier. The host club wondered what had gone into him-they thought that there was a sudden shortage of medicine and ours was the only hospital in plentiful supply. His parents thought that he'd finally quit the host club, and started at some 'sensible' club. Like the origami club.

They were more than a little surprised when he told them that he'd found someone.

The host club (especially Tamaki), were even more surprised when they found out.

But then the time came for her to meet his parents.

_But I don't care what they say  
I'm in love with you  
They try to pull me away  
But they don't know the truth_

Kyouya sighed as he remembered the next part of his story. His parents had stared critically at Haruhi throughout dinner, and conversation was slight and forced. Eventually, his father came right out with it.

"So tell me, Fujioka-san," He tried to smile. "What business are your parents involved in?"

_Of course…_Kyouya cringed. _He'd just assumed that Haruhi would be rich, as she goes to Ouran. _

Haruhi shot a confused look at Kyouya. "My…Father doesn't own any sort of business. My mother…Passed away."

"..I'm sorry to hear that." His father was glaring at Kyouya. "Excuse us, please." He led Kyouya out of the room-but the paper door wasn't going to wide enough to obscure their raised voices.

"A commoner!" His dad spat. "_This _is the girl whose supposed to advance us in business?!"

"She's very smart." Kyouya protested. "I'm sure she would-"

"What would people say?! That our son ran off with a-"

"A perfectly respectable, smart girl!"

"Have you lost your mind?! What possessed you to go out with _her?!_"

The door suddenly shot open. Haruhi stood in the doorway, looking down at the floor. She was shaking. Kyouya opened his mouth to reply, but the sight of her froze his words. She looked so…weak. Utterly cut down, but at the same time, strong. Her hair was falling out. The makeup the twins had forced on her was streaming down her face. The dress-the one time he'd actually seen her in one-was crumpled and creased. His father shot him a triumphant look.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered eventually. "If I'd realised I was part of a business deal, I would've brought my briefcase."

"Haruhi…"

"Forget it, Kyouya. Ootori-san." She gave a small bow. "I apologise for wasting your time and that my less than acceptable financial situation had to be brought on you." She left the room. Kyouya made to go after her, but his father stopped him, trying to hide his smirk.

"Just let her go, son. This is why I wanted to arrange someone for you. Don't you see? Everything would only end in pain. A commoner like her would've broken you sooner or later."

"You don't understand." Kyouya shook his head. Now his mother was hugging him-but the contact was devoid of sympathy.

"You should just leave her alone." She said. They left the room.

_My heart's crippled by the pain  
That I keep on closing  
You cut me open and I_

Keep bleeding

_Keep, keep bleeding love_

_I keep bleeding  
I keep, keep bleeding love  
Keep bleeding  
Keep, keep bleeding love  
You cut me open…_

Kyouya watched Haruhi leave the host club-walking determinedly past him not looking at him. Again, he cursed himself, for his stupidity. He should've told her right from the start. Then she wouldn't have started to love him. And he…he wouldn't have fallen in love with her.

She looked back at him, just for a second. She looked as pained as she did on that first day. Casting a dark look at Kyouya, the twins hastened after her. Kyouya didn't hang around to hear their conversation.

"Haruhi…Are you okay?"

"No," She said forcefully, her eyes glittering. She rubbed her forehead and leant on the wall. "No, Hikaru, I'm not okay. I don't know what it is, I just…I just can't forget about him. I mean, he did wrong, and now it's over. I _should _be able to let it go…But it doesn't stop hurting."

"It will take a while." Kaoru tried to smile.

"Kaoru, it's _been _a while. He and Tamaki will be graduating in a few weeks."

"Then you have to put this out of your mind forever. Haruhi, you need to _talk _to the guy…End it on better terms, y'know?"

Haruhi stared at Hikaru, eyes wide, looking confused. "You…You think that would help?"

"Oh yes." Both twins nodded hastily, and let her walk a little ahead. "At least…help them get back together…" They muttered. Haruhi turned to look back at them.

"Did you guys say anything?" She asked, suspiciously.

"No!" they answered innocently.

_Trying hard not to hear  
But they talk so loud  
Their piercing sounds fill my ears  
Try to fill me with doubt  
Yet I know that the goal  
Is to keep me from falling_

Kyouya too, began to head for home, sighing. The challenge between him and his father still had a couple of weeks left-it ran until he graduated. Yet he hadn't even tried. He couldn't do to another girl what he'd done to Haruhi. The first few weeks after they'd had broken up had taught him not to do _that _again.

But it wasn't just the hell that Tamaki had put him through that was stopping him from getting a girlfriend. Exactly two things were doing that.

One was Haruhi. After the long months they had spent together, he didn't want anyone else. And if he went out with them purely because of the challenge, then he would be a hypocrite.

But that was why he started to go out with Haruhi in the first place. So he was already a hypocrite.

The other thing was his parents. Since Haruhi, they had been supportive to the point of suffocation. Despite the fact that Kyouya's father was a cold-hearted…He seemed to care about Kyouya more than he'd realised at first. They didn't want their son-their brilliant, youngest son, to be hurt again. Not a day passed when they assured him that he was better off without her.

But Kyouya didn't want to hear that. He wanted to need her-but he wanted her to need him as well.

Yet slowly, they were getting to him.

Love? Who needed it?

Love was just business.

And there were only a couple of weeks left until graduation.

_But nothing's greater  
Than the rush that comes with your embrace  
And in this world of loneliness  
I see your face  
Yet everyone around me  
Thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe, maybe_

Days passed with infuriating quickness. Kyouya had tried and tried again to find a girl who was willing to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to trap his parents. Perhaps he was having so much difficultly because all the girls he asked didn't like the idea of being 'used'.

But Kyouya wasn't going to lie again. He wasn't going to love again.

Eventually, and, much to his disgust, he had to consult Tamaki.

"Why not just ask Haruhi?" Tamaki asked. "Normally Kyouya, I wouldn't give my daughter to anyone, but for you, I'll make an exception."

Kyouya stared at him for a long moment before answered. "Tried that." He said, eventually. "Remember?"

"You haven't tried your new policy of being honest. A new tactic for you, I'll admit, but a very refreshing change!"

"Be honest with her?!" Kyouya raged. "because that'll really help. She knows the truth already, idiot."

"Not the whole truth, and nothing but," Tamaki said mysteriously.

"What?" Kyouya asked flatly.

"You haven't told her that you love her." Tamaki pointed out, grinning at his friends face.

"Fine." Kyouya sighed, resigned. "Fine, I'll try."

"Oh good!" the twins leapt out of nowhere. "because we've just convinced her to talk to you!" They reached behind a curtain, and pulled Haruhi out. Kyouya stared at them, and at Tamaki.

"Go on then." Hikaru prompted.

"She already knows. She could hear through the curtain."

"It's not the same!" Tamaki protested.

"Fine." Kyouya rolled his eyes. "Haruhi, I…"

"Yes…" She was a little embarrassed at their blatantly listening audience.

"I'm not going to lie."

"No."

"I need you to help me trick my parents."

That threw them.

"You weren't supposed to tell her _that_." Tamaki moaned. "That's not romantic." Haruhi and Kyouya ignored him.

"For a price." She said eventually.

"A quarter of your debts, cut."

"Half."

"A third."

"Deal." Haruhi shook his hand, and then suddenly pulled him into a hug. The twins and Tamaki cheered.

"But what will you tell your parents?" She asked.

"What do you think?" Kyouya couldn't help but smile.

_But I don't care what they say  
I'm in love with you  
They try to pull me away  
But they don't know the truth_

"So what _did _you tell them?" Haruhi asked, a few days later.

"That your father had an unexpected series of promotions and was now head of a leading chain of…a…restaurants."

Haruhi laughed. "So. Just a _slight _alteration of the truth, then?"

"That's right."


	13. 18 Numbered: Tea and Coffee

-118. Numbered

Tea and Coffee

_1,540 Words_

Kyouya knew his days were numbered. If there was one thing he understood, it was numbers. He knew, just like everyone else, that life was sand in a great hour-glass; and once it finished it would not be turned over and begun again. He, like most people on the planet, chose not to think about it too much. Yet, if life was precious, if time was precious, and if time was money, it had to be well spent.

As such, he tried to spend as much time as he possibly could productively. Unfortunately, his weakness came in a very _energetic _form, and he'd realised, that, if their friendship continued as he imagined Tamaki would insist it did, by the time he was eighty dealing with the French Tourist would have taken up almost a decade.

This was no laughing matter.

And still, like everybody else, he had gone chasing after the idiot when it seemed he would leave. He had intended to let him go, as it was his own choice, but, in the end, he had gone too. Why? Well, he'd done the math, of course. Without the Host Club, the possibility of making any useful alliances in the future from students here fell almost 57 percent.

That was no laughing matter either. The numbers didn't lie.

There had been no questioning the fact that the Host Club could not go on without Tamaki, of course, he got over 70 percent of the designators, though Kyouya couldn't see why. No, to his mind, if any of the girls had any sense, Haruhi would have been the obvious choice. She was indeed 'natural', or almost. She hadn't quite yet broken the news that she didn't really want to be there.

Although, on that count, he wasn't really sure if any of them besides Tamaki had ever _really _wanted to be there, not if they thought about it. They'd all been lured in by his underhand tactics and now, here they were; obliged to be. The Host Club took up so many of his numbered hours, took up so much of all their time. But they all had 100 percent attendance, and, somewhere inside, he knew the reason. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't furiously deny it.

For whatever reason, he was here, and trying to keep track of all the numbers, the payments in and out; lapping to and fro like the ocean tides. So. He could waste no more time with these useless ponderings. The decorations had cost more then usual this week, but could be offset against the income from the- tea.

Kyouya blinked a moment at his own thoughts. Tea? He looked more closely at the world outside his laptop and saw a cup of the aforementioned substance on the table before him. There was a hand attached, and to that there was an arm, and the arm belonged to Haruhi.

"Tea, Kyouya-senpai?" She said, and evidently not for the first time.

"Thank you." He replied, still a little disorientated from being pulled abruptly away from his numbers, and sipped from the cup.

It was good. Satisfied, he set it back down, as Haruhi, finished with the club for another day, sat opposite with a sigh.

He pulled his eyes back to the screen. So. 10,000 yen for the decorations, but that had been more then made up from the 14,000 they'd gotten from the sale of-

Of…

The tea. Again. It was distracting him. The smell of it.

He moved the cup, and turned back to his keyboard.

10,000 out for the decorations. 14,000 from the sale of the new photo collection, plus the 4,200 they'd got on pre-ordered tickets for the next event, though they had paid out 10,000 for the decorations. Still, they'd already made 14,000-

He was thinking in circles. Something was distracting him. Another smell, but it wasn't the tea. It was a very straight-forward smell. He glanced at Haruhi, who was looking vacantly across the room, resting after tidying up at the end of Club. A straight-forward smell… perhaps a commoner washing powder of some sort. He'd never noticed before.

He hadn't noticed how small these tables were before, either; just how _close_.

…Anyway. 10,000 for the decorations-

The interruption came this time in the form of another little sigh from Haruhi, and his concentration was shot. He had to ask.

"Problems?"

"Ah." She blinked, and he recognised he'd just brought her out of her thoughts just as she had done to him. "No, I was just thinking. It's nothing. Sorry."

Kyouya observed her silently, thinking this was very unlikely. His rough calculations however, based on previous events, told him 19:1 that this would be the case, because nothing had really happened to worry her. And numbers never lied.

10,000. 14,000. 4,200. The 320 yen Tamaki had borrowed to use a pay phone when he had lost his phone and wallet. The 380 yen the twins had given him so he wouldn't tell Tamaki where they were.

"It'll get cold." Haruhi said, suddenly, and his concentration shattered again.

Though, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he could never really concentrate on anything when she was around.

"What?"

"Your tea. It'll get cold."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow, but sipped obediently. "It's tepid." He complained.

Haruhi looked put out. "Who's fault is that?"

He simply smirked in reply, and went back to the sums. 10,000, 14,000, 4,200, 320, 380. He wondered how much time he had already wasted with these numbers, and how much more would be given to them. Certainly, far too long, if Haruhi kept moving in her seat and distracting him and his thoughts all too often.

He knew whenever she moved, even though it was so slight. He could feel it disturb the table, or the air, or hear her clothes rustle, or smell them. It was almost disturbing, how very… _aware _of her he was. She was dominating almost 80 percent of his attention.

And _no-one _ever got that much attention. If they did, and he was always wasting time like this, then he would never achieve anything. He looked up, intending to ask her to move, or to make his own excuses, but he found himself looking straight into her eyes; and suddenly found he couldn't quite remember what he'd been thinking. He was acutely aware of her still, and that there was no-one else in the room. They looked away again without a word, and he went quickly back to his numbers before his mind went where it wouldn't.

1320, 44,100, 38,000, 1,000...

No.

1410,000-

No, again. He tried to make himself concentrate.

320, 380, 14,000, 10,420-

Now he was just being ridiculous. He'd never had such a lapse before.

She was breathing rather loudly, wasn't she?

Or was he listening too hard?

10,000, 14,000, 4200, 320, 380. There. He smiled in triumph. Now, really, there was only one more number to add- the refreshments. Honey-senpai's cake ration for the day had all been through left-over valentines gifts, so that just left the Commoner Coffee Haruhi had brought earlier that day.

He looked at her again, and she was looking faraway. She shuffled slightly, and he smelt what he had assumed was detergent again, and this time recognised it. A detergent, indeed. She smelt like the coffee she'd been making for them all. No wonder she'd chosen tea this time.

She made good tea.

But, he scolded himself, this was all irrelevant. 320, 340, 4280, 11,400; and the price of the Commoner Coffee.

He didn't know the price of the Commoner Coffee.

He looked up at her, wondering whether to ask, it she seemed deep in thought. He looked back at the sums. He couldn't help it, they were _boring_… and she seemed so much more an appealing use of his numbered days.

So, he could ask. Or, he could go and find out for himself.

It would be useless to try and go on his own, of course, he didn't know where the local Commoner Market was. So…

"Haruhi. Want to take a walk?"

She was startled. "Oh, well…Um, that doesn't seem like you, Kyouya-senpai."

"I know." He answered. "I want to research coffee prices."

"Oh."

Yes, he wanted to research coffee prices. And to walk with her outside of the school corridors, and to, for once, give all his attention; and to find out what she was thinking about, and to be given some of her time, because time was money, and should be well spent.

But, it was mostly about the coffee prices. After all, numbers never lied. Numbers were a lot easier to understand, numbers were explainable. These… _feelings _were not. Yet, he almost thought, and he couldn't be sure, yet, not more than about 30 percent sure, but still curious… he almost thought these unquantifiable things were almost as precious. He knew his days were numbered, but, as they passed, he would learn to spend them carefully. The sands of his days slipped through his fingers, but he knew they were well spent when his fingers were wrapped around hers.

It took a long time for Kyouya to work things out, but eventually they added up- and, as might be expected, the answer was her.


	14. 67 Misguided: Precious Moments

A/N: I wrote this one ages ago, and completely forgot about posting it. Silly me, particularly as this is one of my favourites. It contains some rather misguided decisions… XD

67- Misguided

Precious Moments

_940 words_

_15:35, 46th Meeting of the MMOJ Publishing Committee._

The room was silent. Was it right, that their editor should be absent? Was it right that Sora-san had called a meeting uninvited, without running it by Rengé-sama? Could it be right?

And could it be as important as she had claimed?

At length, Sora took a deep breath, steeling herself, and stood. "Ladies," she said, loudly. "I should like to call the first unofficial meeting of the Moe Moe Ouran Journal to order! I'm sure you're all wondering why I did not tell Rengé-sama…but I'm sure you'll understand when you see this." Not hesitating, she lifted up a piece of paper. "Prepare yourselves." She said, quietly, dramatically, and flipped it over so they could see.

Silence.

Then the screams, gasps, cries. Shock, horror… delight.

"Is that real?!"

"But, I thought it was the twins who…"

"Ah, Rengé-san will be so upset…"

"But, news like this…"

"I don't believe it!"

"I never expected this!"

"Kyaaa!"

Sora waited. Waited a long time, until, at length, the commotion died down and the girls that had fainted had been revived. Then the sub-editor spoke gravely.

"We have big news in our hands, ladies, and great power. Bigger than anything we've had before. We have to think carefully about how to use this information."

"Our fiftieth edition!" One girl said immediately, and the prospect was immediately greeted with cheers. "What news! We owe it to the girls of the school to let them share it!" More cheers.

"Is that really what you think?" Sora asked innocently. "If yes, that's what we'll do; I'll give it to Rengé-sama tomorrow. But…" She looked around at them all. "Wouldn't it just cause trouble for the very boys we're supposed to love so much?"

Quiet mutterings.

"Do we have a right to spread a secret they've been keeping?"

More mumbling.

"To break the hearts of so many women?"

Rising in dynamics.

"And to cheapen their cherished memories?"

The girls were almost in tears now. A unanimous no.

"We have to destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands!" One declared.

"Throw it away!"

"But what if someone finds it?"

"We'll have to burn it…"

"No." Sora said, flatly. "We can't. We can't destroy a precious moment. We have no right. But… we can put it in safe hands, in secret, where it can be treasured and safe. And not a word of this to anyone else. Let us swear."

Across the round table, hands pooled together, and they swore on the secret. The oath of the Precious Memories.

- - - - - - - - -

The envelope was nestled at home, in safe hands. It was lunch time, and Kyouya was sitting opposite Tamaki, who was looking at the curling address curiously.

_Please keep this safe. We are trusting you. – Your friends._

"I wonder what it could be?" Tamaki asked, for the ten thousandth time. Kyouya, who was reading a book- even he didn't type while eating- answered boredly.

"Just open it and find out." After all, it couldn't be different to the dozens of others of fan letters Tamaki got. It was probably a lock of girl's hair or something.

It wasn't, but it was equally disturbing.

Kyouya heard Tamaki's strangled gasps for air and decided he probably didn't want to know; did not look up from his book. The twins turned up, complaining about how Haruhi had insisted on eating in the classroom, and then noticed Tamaki's face.

"What's eating him?" They asked in sync. Kyouya shrugged, and the twins glanced over at the paper Tamaki was staring at.

"Wow." Kaoru muttered. Hikaru said nothing. Kaoru glanced at Tamaki, and stood. "We'd better get him out of here before he explodes…" Hikaru nodded mechanically, and between them they hauled the stunned Tamaki up and began to lead them out. It seemed Hikaru was too shell-shocked to do anything more than what he'd been advised. But Kaoru knew it wouldn't last long.

"I suggest you hide somewhere." He said to Kyouya. "Before these two remember they should be killing you."

The three left, and, alone, Kyouya was overcome with curiosity. He reached over for the abandoned paper and looked at what was on the other side.

His eyebrow raised. Just slightly.

He tucked the photograph safely out of sight in his internal pocket and left rather hastily.

Inside his pocket, the photo was in line with his heart. Not that he noticed. The picture would make him smile a little later. But more than that, he wondered who had caught them; and more importantly why giving it to _Tamaki _for safe-keeping had been a good idea. What a misguided logic that was.

He would have to be more careful in future. No more in school.

And then he passed the classroom where Haruhi sat alone, eating her lunch and reading, and couldn't resist joining her, showing her the picture; of her hands around his back, in his hair, his around her waist, their lips together.

"Tamaki had it." Kyouya broke the news.

"Well." She said, calmly. "At least we didn't ever have to tell him."

"And now we don't have to be secret anymore."

"No."

They weren't. They pulled close again.

And, outside the door, Sora and another girl from the journal, stood watching, silently crying at the beauty of the relationship, and that the boys would never be theirs. Sora could take no more and ran.

"Good luck, Kyouya-senpai! Good luck, Haruhi-kun!" She cried. "May you have many precious moments!"

They did not hear her words; but they took the advice.

Once Tamaki was done ranting at them, anyway.


End file.
